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ConferenceARCHIVE· within Digital Bridge 2025
GCA Conf '25
A conference on the future of games, esports and digital art within Digital Bridge 2025: five panels, a keynote, a pitch-and-roast of 10 teams, an exhibition of 23 studios and a VR playground.
4 October 2025 · 10:00–17:00
DATES
4 October 2025 · 10:00–17:00
WHERE
Astana · EXPO IEC
ORGANIZERS
GCA · CIAQ
Venue
Lvl 1 · Main stage
- · Plenary sessions with experts
- · Talks with practical cases
- · Pitch-and-roast
Lvl 2 · Workshop Zone
- · Hands-on workshops
- · Mentoring with experts
Lvl 3 · GameZone & Digital Art Exhibition
- · Local and international indie games
- · Digital art and VR/AR projects
- · Play the games and meet the authors
Lvl 4 · Networking
- · Informal evening meetup
Programme
Hall 2 · first floor
10:00–10:30
■Presenting Kazakhstan's GameDev community — GCA. Announcements: Omerun and GameDev Connect meetups, ShuSchool and Shu Studio, Silk Rock Jam
Давид ТугановЛев ТарасовМалика Игибаеваmoderator — Давид Туганов
Hall 2 · first floor
10:30–11:00
■Keynote
Jessica Tams
Hall 2 · first floor
11:00–12:00
■Panel 1 · Trends and growth strategies. AI and GameDev
Leaders of major studios on the trends shaping the industry, growth strategies and how AI is changing game development.
Артем СлесаренкоИраклий ПетровИлья КорчагинВладимир БариновАдиль ТасимовАкмаль Салиховmoderator — Давид Туганов
Hall 2 · first floor
12:00–13:00
■Panel 2 · A success strategy for indie studios
Challenges and opportunities for independent developers: from funding to marketing and going global.
Лев ТарасовСергей СыскинЕлизавета МорозоваОлжас Акпаровmoderator — Малика Игибаева
Hall 2 · first floor
13:00–14:00
■Panel 3 · Esports: trends, business, potential
Organization leaders and pro players on the state and future of esports: trends, business models, commercial potential.
Абылайхан ЖакановЕвгений БогатыревТоктаул РабатовТоктар Арыстанmoderator — Алишер Каирбеков
Hall 2 · first floor
14:00–15:00
■Panel 4 · Animation and art
Leading animation and digital-art practitioners on creative process, the role of visual style and trends in animation and game art.
Канат НуркановАбылай КусаиновКамиля ЖакияноваМагира ТлеубердинаРинат Ахмедияров (eri künsai)moderator — Альберт Асқарұлы
Hall 2 · first floor
15:00–15:30
■GameDev in Uzbekistan
Акмаль Салихов
Hall 2 · first floor
15:30–16:00
■Developing and operating a game product in 2025
Антон Андрейченко
Hall 2 · first floor
16:00–17:00
■Panel 5 · Artists in GameDev · Simulator games in education
An art director on the range of artist roles in GameDev, and a research-lab head on simulators and game technology in education.
Сергей СыскинАлександра Кнышеваmoderator — Давид Туганов
Hall 2 · first floor
Hall 1 · ground floor
весь день
■Game studio exhibition — 23 studios
Hall 1 · ground floor
весь день
■VR shooter playground
Hall 1 · ground floor
11:00–12:30
■GameDev pitch-and-roast — 10 teams
10 minutes per team; the top 3 receive prizes. Jury — Sergey Syskin, Grigory Ivanov, Ilya Korchagin, Artem Niyazov.
Сергей СыскинГригорий ИвановИлья КорчагинАртем Ниязов
Hall 1 · ground floor
12:30–13:00
■Virtual photography in games
Дархан Жагипаров
Hall 1 · ground floor
13:00–13:15
■People as the foundation of the industry: networking, community and belonging
Владимир Пак
Hall 1 · ground floor
13:15–13:30
■Game design, plainly
Амирхан Габдылкарим
Hall 1 · ground floor
13:30–14:00
■Multiplayer in Unity: client-server architecture, NGO, Mirror
Даулет Тургалиев
Hall 1 · ground floor
14:00–14:30
■Video game localization
Елизавета Морозова
Hall 1 · ground floor
14:30–15:00
■Prize draw
Hall 1 · ground floor
19:00
■Evening GameDev meetup · informal
Venue — TBA
Speakers · 37
Давид Туганов
Board member, Creative Industries Alliance of Qazaqstan; founder, TransforNATION Impact Fund
Jessica Tams
Board member, Atari; Venture Partner, Griffin Gaming Partners
Илья Корчагин
Founder & CEO, Take Top Entertainment
Владимир Баринов
Founder, VARDIX group and DreamLight Studio
Малика Игибаева
Game designer, art director and project director, SHŪ
Лев Тарасов
IT Producer, 3D expert, Founder & CEO OMNIUM.KZ
Сергей Сыскин
Art director, SPARTA 2035
Елизавета Морозова
Project lead, SolidRock
Евгений Богатырев
CEO, Pinger.Pro
Абылайхан Жаканов
Founder, Game of Drones
Даулет Тургалиев
Unity/Defold developer
Ираклий Петров
Game designer and mobile producer, MyTona
Григорий Иванов
Ex Project Manager, MyTona
Артем Слесаренко
Founder, Profland, Rhinotales studio, Inspations
Владимир Пак
Founder, Almaty Game Developers Club (AKIRA); organizer, GameJam SU
Асхат Халимов
CEO, Baysa Entertainment; CEO, Digital Laboratory
Элина Ким
GameDev Center Astana Hub; co-founder, Borsyq Games
Амирхан Габдылкарим
Lead Game Designer, OGames
Артем Ниязов
Senior Location Game Designer, Playrix
Алексей Назаров
Founder & CEO, Cyber Temple group
Адиль Тасимов
COO / Producer, OGames
Токтаул Рабатов
Esports operator and content creator
Олжас Акпаров
Co-founder, CBDO, Cyber Temple
Жансая Касымтаева
Moderator · CTO GCA, GameDev community manager
Александра Кнышева
Head, GameLab KBTU
Антон Андрейченко
Game Director, Grand Games
Дархан Жагипаров
Photographer and visual artist
Альберт Асқарұлы
CEO, KEME animation studio
Акмаль Салихов
Business Development Director, East Games
Канат Нурканов
CEO, GLITCH ANIMATION LAB
Абылай Кусаинов
Comic artist
Камиля Жакиянова
Background artist, illustrator, animator
Алишер Каирбеков
CEO, ALLINNERS esports organization
Магира Тлеубердина
Digital artist, comic author
Ринат Ахмедияров (eri künsai)
Manga artist, illustrator, founder of Künsai Studio
Токтар Арыстан
CS2 esports player
Габит Серикбаев
Co-founder, LNJ Studio; Product Manager
Studios
23
Studio catalogue at the conference exhibition.